Ordnance



June 23, 1931. c, BlTTlNGER 1,811,605

ORDNANCE Original Filed April 26, 1926 mmw\ .m i h I ll! Patented June 23, 193 1 UNITE ORDNANCE Original application filed April 26, 1926, Serial No. 104,832. lDivide'rliand this application filed April 3, i

1930. Serial No, 441329. v w

The matter disclosed and claimed herein constitutes a division of application filed April 26, 1926, on ordnance, Ser. No. 104,832.

This invention relates to ordnance, with particular reference to anti-aircraft ordsuch as is used on naval vessels, for instance,

has been incapable of use against aircraft, due among other factors, to the slight degree of elevation to which such ordnance is susceptible. This results not only in undue duplication of ordnance, but also in ineffective anti-aircraft measures.

Further, it has been the tendency and prac tice to provide as anti-aircraft ordnance devices with a high rate of fire but with an attendant decrease in bore of the rifle, and in the size and weight of the projectiles. The hope being that a cone of fire will be provided of great intensity, of such divergence that one or more of the small projectiles may strikerthe target aircraft. Such anti-aircraft ordnance and fire have been proven to be ineffectual.

Some of the objects of this invention are; to improve the mounting of large caliber ordnance to permit its use against aircraft without in any way reducing the offensive power of the gun when firing at ships on the surface of the water, or lowering the resistance factor of the turret in which'the gun is mounted; to provide means whereby highly effective firing may be had against aircraft,

and many other objects and advantages as will be apparent.

In carrying out this invention a turret or similar mount for a gun is provided, which is so arranged that aiming and firing of the gun may be had in two perpendicular planes, effective for either long range or high elevation purposes.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic section through a form of this invention, in which the turret has the conventional rotative movement, and in which the gun is mounted on a deck lug slidably upon an inclined surfacewithin the turret, so as-to bring the axis or trunnions of the gun under the opening in the turret,

Fig; 2 is a section through "the same form as in Fig. 1, but with the trunnions for the gun slid forward with the lug and the gun. in an elevated position for anti-aircraft fire.

In anti aircraft fire, the vital spot of the target has always been considered to be the pilot. It hasbeen found that expeditious results may be hadby causing some collapse of the airplane structure, such as astrut, propeller, flying wires, and that such collapse is as effective as a hit on the pilot.

7 While, o'f'course, there is always a chance that the present construction and firing of anti-aircraft ordnance will in isolated cases result in hits, yet there is a tremendous waste o'f'munitionswith nocertainty of a hit. Frequently such projectiles as make hits pass through wings or other innocuous places, without any appreciable damage.

This invention contemplates areduced rate of fire if necessary, but results of high efficiency from each shot. With that-portionof the invention pertaining to improvement of the mounting of large 'calibered ordnance,

such as the 12, 14 and 16-inch guns, it will be perfectly feasible to fire either high explosive shells, the conventional shrapnel, or even gas shells, and good results should be obtainable from any of these. V i

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, no rotative movement of the turret dome is'had, except about a vertical axis, but the result is attained by movement of the trunnions sup porting the gun. In this form of the invention, the armored rotatable turret has gun port 31, through which the gun 32 projects, and which is mounted on trunnions 33, supported on deck lug 34:, the bottom face of which is slidably mounted on the preferably inclined plane 35. It will be clear that sliding the deck lug on the surface of the plane brings the trunnions for the gun vertically beneath the slit opening 31, and that pivoting the gun on the trunnions during this movement or operation will permit vertical inclination thereof as shown in Fig. 2.

Many changes and modifications of this invention may occur to those skilled in the art, and all such are to be considered as within the scope of the following claims, except where they may otherwise be limited. For instance land fortifications require high angled fire, unobtainable except with such turrets as those described.

I claim as my invention:

1. A gun mount including a turret having a conventionally inclined armored wall having a port, a gun projecting through the port, a trunnion support for the gun in which it is horizontally pivoted, means for moving the trunnions in a plane substantially parallel with the inclined wall so that the trunnions are in substantial vertical alignment with the port whereby the gun may be elevated to the vertical for firing.

2. A gun mount including an inclined armored wall having a port above the lower edge thereof, a gun extending through the port, a deck lug having t-runnions in which the gun is horizontally pivoted, a track upon which the lug is slidably mounted substantially parallel with the inclined face of the wall and extending to a point vertically beneath the lower edge of said wall, means for moving the lug on said track to vary the disposition substantially horizontal with the port to a position substantially vertical with the port for permitting oscillation of the gun on its trunnions through substantially 90.

3. A gun mount including a turret having an inclined armored wall having a port, a gun projecting through the port, a support for the gun upon which it is pivoted on a horizontal axis, means for moving the axis from a position of substantial horizontal registntion with the port in a rectilinear line to a position of substantially vertical registration with the port whereby the gun may be swung from the horizontal toward the vertical for firing.

Signed at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, this 22nd day of March, 1930.

, CHARLES BITTINGER. 

